New Riders

I have noticed a lot more people have started riding recently in my area, I being one of them.
(Don't be like these two dorks in the photo, atleast one rider is wearing bright colors)

One thing I remember well from my training is that you must always wear protective gear.
Yet I see a lot of untrained or unskilled riders who don't wear protective gear. I know of many horror stories about a simple 10-15 mph incident that left a rider in the hospital for many weeks.
Don't be one of them!
Wear your gear!

Gear typically consists of:
Heavy boots
Long pants, prefrably jeans or leather chaps over jeans
Gloves, protect the hands
Long sleeve shirt
Jacket
Leather vest
Helmet whether full face, half, or 3/4 helmet

Some options for hot weather are available such as a Kevlar shirt by Draggin Jeans (dragginjeans.com)
Or a Cordura mesh Vest with padding. There are also some Cordura mesh jackets available on the market as well and are much better then a regular tee shirt.
While Kevlar is the best material to wear period, it may be too much money for most people and this is where people opt for leather.
Leather holds an abrasion strength much higher then any of the standard fabrics on the market in it's natural form, much more so if the leather is backed with padding or Kevlar.

While a helmet may not be required in your area, a helmet is a good idea just in case something was to happen. For instance you fall at 7 mph turning a corner and your head hits the ground first, what normally would be a concussion or worse is avoided because of the helmet. Believe me it could happen at the blink of an eye dirt or debris not seen could cause some problems.

The best safety gear above all is taking a safety course offer by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (http://www.msf-usa.org/). The knowledge which you can learn from one of these courses can be life saving.
Knowlege is power.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02

First Road Ride

So I have successfully completed my motorcycle training and safety course to get my endorsement to get my motorcycle license.

It has been a grueling 3 weeks to get back on a motorcycle again. Through a unique opportunity I have a chance to train with a veteran rider and use the other motorcycle the family owns. It is a win win situation where the motorcycle gets used and won't go to waste and I get to learn the road on a motorcycle.

I have been well prepared and ordered all my gear for the opportunity to ride. I bought a full face helmet because that is what I wanted to wear when I started and a full padded Cordura jacket with my gloves and heavy boots (later I found I need protective pants too).

These are the bike as we got ready to go.

I will tell you three weeks doesn't seem like a long time however it was almost like re-learning what I already learned. One thing I did not take the time to practice was the friction zone of this "new to me" motorcycle. Ever motorcycle is different and I had learned the motorcycle in my training course so well it was hard to re-learn a new machine.

Not even 2 minutes on the motorcycle and I turned the throttle too much and laid the bike down in the neighbors yard across the street.

*Note to self, play with the clutch and throttle to figure friction zone, OK got it*

Once back up we hit the road.

I had never been on an incline before on a motorcycle when we have come to an state highway intersection. The result was that I dumped the clutch and smashed the throttle. Well what happens when you fall back from the handle bars? You grasp the throttle to hang on because the right handle bar controls the throttle. Needless to say I laid the bike down in the middle of the intersection pinning my leg up against the rear fender. As I laid there waiting for James to return and help me up I again thought to myself...

*Note to self, play with the clutch and throttle to figure friction zone, OK got it*

Here is what happen to my boot, pants and leg.

My boot was missing part of the front tip leather and my pants have abrasions on them. The fender had taken a deep cut out of my leg which I had to shave around to get the band aids to stick to. My knee which took the impact of the weight as I went to the right side was very swollen and hurt to walk on for awhile. However no major damage to me or the motorcycle thanks to the engine guards which were in place on the frame for protection.

After all that we continue to ride on our way to eat dinner at a local Diner. Total trip was around 60 miles that day.

I made it back to the house and continue to ride for another day.

Moral here is to practice your friction zone, learn your bike, and keep your mind free of panic to ride safe.

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Colby Butler aka Kingkole02